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11 Clues the Real-Life Gallo Crew Were the Inspiration for the Fictional Rosato Brothers Characters
1-They were siblings, Joey & Larry (and Albert) Gallo; the fictional Carmine & Tony Rosato. 2-The Gallo’s war with their Profaci Family bosses parallels the Rosato’s war with the Frank Pentangeli led Corleone Family. 3-In the attempted strangulation scene, the writers employed an interesting literary mechanism. In the real-life event, Larry Gallo was the victim when he attended a sit-down to discuss peace with Profaci guys. In the film, the Rosato’s attempted to strangle family boss Frank Pentangeli. 4-Both Larry Gallo and the fictional Pentangeli survived because a police officer happened on the scene. The sit-down took place on a Sunday at around 3:00 PM. Under New York’s Blue Laws, the Sahara’s liquor license meant the establishment should not be open on Sunday until 6:00 PM. Police Sergeant Edward Meagher entered the Sahara Lounge thinking there was a Blue Law Violation. Surprised by the presence of a police office, and obviously fearing a murder rap, the 4 mobsters attempting to kill Larry Gallo bum-rushedi Sergeant Meagher and fled. Another police officer outside the Sahara, Melvin Blei, took a bullet in the face from one of the fleeing entourage (see # 10). 5-Both the real and fictional strangulation attempts took place in bars. The writers don’t give us the name of the bar in The Godfather II; the real-life event took place at the Sahara Lounge on Utica Avenue in Flatbush. 6-At the sit down with Michael in Nevada, Pentangeli laments how the Rosatos recruited Hispanics and African-Americans. In the real world, the Gallo Crew could pass for a UN delegation. Several races & ethnicities were represented including Italian, Latino, Syrian, Greek, Irish, and African-American. 7-Also at the sit-down with Michael in Nevada, Pentangeli says “the Rosato brothers-they’re taking hostages.” During the Gallo-Profaci feud, the Gallos took four hostages, Profaci Underboss Magliocco, Profaci’s brother Frank, Profaci’s bodyguard Giovanni “John” Scimone, and future family boss Joe Columbo. 8-The name game, Carmine Persico attempted to strangle Larry Gallo, and one of the Rosato brothers was named Carmine. 9-The C-note. On the street before the meeting, the fictional Carmine Rosato gives Pentangeli a “lucky C-note for our new deal.” In the real world John Scimone gave Larry Gallo a C-note before they left for the Sahara Lounge. The fictional Pentangeli was offended by the C-note, but Larry Gallo was happy to get it. Financially speaking, The Gallos were on the skids. A police task force dubbed the “Pizza Squad” was set up in an apartment across the street from the Gallo’s Direct Vending Machine Company. The watchful eyes of the Pizza Squad made it difficult for Larry to do business. He had missed his mortgage payment and his car was repossessed. He had to borrow a car to drive to the sit-down. The ever reckless Gallo brother Joey was in even more dire financial straits than Larry. Joey had attempted to muscle a businessman named Teddy Moss. Moss went to the cops, and Joey’s mom had to mortgage her house to raise the 15 grand for his bail. Joey took to the streets to raise another $25,000 for his pending legal fees, but he came back with only 50 bucks. The Commissionii had decreed that Profaci pay the Gallos $150,000 to help settle the feud, but the Gallos had yet to see a dime of the money. So, the C-note was an offer Larry Gallo could not refuse. 10-In both The Godfather II and the real-life event at the Sahara, a police officer was shot outside the bar. In the real world, it was patrolman Melvin Blei who took a bullet in the face. He survived. 11-The change in leadership during the feud: The Gallo’s moved against their family boss Guiseppe “Joe” Profaci. When Profaci died in 1962 (of natural causes), his brother-in-law Joseph Magilocco became boss, and the hostilities with the Gallo’s continued under his tenure. The fictional Rosato Brothers initially went to war with Corleone Family boss Peter Clemenza. When Clemenza died, Frank Pentangeli took over as boss and as the target of the Rosato’s wrath. Extra Credit (the “sleeps with fishes” scene)-When Larry Gallo went to the sit-down at the Sahara Lounge, his trusted bodyguard Joseph “Joe Jelly” Giorelli was not with him. Jelly was away with his gumareiii, at least that’s what Larry thought. Sometime before the August 20, 1961 meeting at the Sahara, Jelly departed Sheepshead Bay on the boat of his friend Salvatore “Sally D” D’Ambrosio. Jelly never returned from that trip. Sally D was at the Sahara on August 20th when he and Carmine Persico tried to strangle Larry Gallo (see # 3 & 4). The next anyone heard about Jelly was on August 25, 1961 when fish wrapped in Jelly’s coat (or his lucky shirt, sources vary) were left outside a Gallo Crew hangout. The message was clear, like the fictional Luca Brasi, Jelly sleeps with the fishes. Jelly’s wife reported him missing on August 31, 1961. The fact that he was gone for over 10 days before she reported him missing is not unusual; guys in this business are routinely gone from home for days at a time. Unanswered Question-Among those arrested at the Sahara Lounge the night of the attempt on Larry Gallo’s life was the Sahara’s 61 year old Asian-American cook Arnold Nong. He was also among the 6 arraigned as material witnesses in this case by Judge Samuel Leibowitz of Kings County Court. Judge Leibowitz ordered Nong held in protective custody stating his “life would not be worth a pretzel” otherwise. I don’t know what became of Mr. Nong. He would be 117 years old now, but he is not in the Social Security Death Index. Perhaps he returned to his native China, but we don’t know. i The meaning of bum-rush has changed since 1961. I am using the current vernacular which means to forcibly charge or overrun. ii Commission-A panel of 6 o 7 bosses from the Cosa Nostra Families that resolve disputes. iii Gumare-Mistress/Girlfriend